Residents

Who we are:

Multi-Material Stewardship Western (MMSW) is a non-profit organization with a membership consisting of a wide variety of businesses from different sectors, all of which distribute packaging and paper materials to consumers who then dispose of these materials in their recycling bins. MMSW members include manufacturers, retailers, quick-service restaurants, banks and insurance companies, magazine publishers and many others.

In February 2013, the Saskatchewan government passed the Household Packaging and Paper Stewardship Program Regulation. The Regulation requires businesses that supply packaging and paper to Saskatchewan consumers contribute towards the cost of residential recycling programs. MMSW worked with its members to develop a plan that details how these contributions would be made. The plan was approved in October 2015 and launched on January 1, 2016.

Programs that shift some or all of the financial responsibility to businesses are referred to as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs, and don’t only exist for packaging and paper, but for a range of other products including electronics, tires and paint. EPR is designed to address the environmental impact associated with the production and end-of-life management of goods. In Canada, provinces with similar packaging and printed paper programs to Saskatchewan include New Brunswick, Québec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia.

Learn more about recycling in your community. For information on recycling items beyond packaging and paper, visit the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council.

Why is recycling important?

Paper and Packaging materials make up 40% of household waste in Saskatchewan.

Finding ways to reduce waste is an increasingly important part of minimizing our impact on the environment. Recycling diverts waste from landfill, conserves resources and energy, and feeds the ever growing green economy.

Recycling:

What can be recycled?

What goes in your recycling can vary by your location.
Click here to learn what you can recycle in your area.

PET Plastic Bottles
Lightweight Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastic is infinitely recyclable and can be used to manufacture new bottles as well as items such as polar fleece, broadloom, rope, brush bristles, car bumpers, and household furnishings.

Glass Bottles & Jars
As an infinitely recyclable material, the glass from bottles and jars can be used to make new glass containers. It also becomes a raw material for products like fibreglass insulation, high traction road surfaces and reflective signs, as well as construction aggregate.

Rigid Plastics
High density plastics, used to make containers like laundry, shampoo and household cleaning bottles, come back as many new products, including decking, picnic tables, deck chairs, gardening supplies and even the Blue Box itself.

Corrugated Cardboard Boxes & Boxboard
Corrugated cardboard boxes and boxboard boxes (such as cereal or cracker boxes) are recycled into new boxes, biodegradable garden supplies, drywall liner, kraft paper (strong and relatively coarse), gift wrap and a variety of brown paper products, such as brown paper towelling.

Polycoat Containers
These food and non-beverage cartons include packaging for liquids like broth and ice cream tubs. They are recyclables that come back as paper towels, paper trays, cardboard, and tissues.

Steel Containers
Because steel never loses quality or strength, it can be endlessly recycled. The raw material from recovered steel containers is used to make new containers, as well as products like chains and piping, household appliances, automotive parts and reinforcing bars (rebar).

Mixed Paper
When recycled, paper products like envelopes, flyers, printer paper, newspaper and more can become magazines, books, egg cartons and more paper!

Click on the recyclable and see what it becomes PET Plastic Bottles Glass Bottles & Jars Rigid Plastics Corrugated Cardboard & Boxboard Polycoat Containers Steel Containers Mixed Paper

Recycled PET Plastic bottles can become Plastic Bottles Polar Fleece Boradloom Rope Brush Bristles Car Bumpers Household Furnishings

Recycled Glass Bottles & Jars can become Bottles & Jars Fibreglass Reflective Signs High Traction Road Surfaces Construction Aggregate

Recycled Rigid Plastics can become Picnic Tables Deck Chairs Decking Blue Boxes Flower Pots Watering Cans

Recycled Corrugated Cardboard Boxes & Boxboard can become New Boxes Biodegradable Garden Supplies Drywall Liner Kraft Paper Brown Paper Towelling Gift Wrap

Recycled Polycoat Containers can become Paper Towels Cardboard Tissue

Recycled Steel Containers can become Steel Containers Chains Pipes Car Parts Household Appliances Structural Steel

Recycled mixed paper can become More Paper Egg Cartons Books & Magazines

What Does This Mean For You?

The transition to the MMSW program on January 1, 2016, will be seamless for residents. Those residents who already receive recycling services will not see any changes. Those residents who are not receiving recycling services may begin to receive collection services now that their municipality is able to benefit from payments from businesses for the operation of recycling collection services.

For specific questions about your recycling, please contact your local municipality.